Glass fiber reinforced spring



Nov. 17, 1959 J. G. MOHR GLASS FIBER REINFORCED SPRING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 23, 1957 INVENTOR. JOHN G. MOHR I ATTORNEYS NOV. 17, 1959 J, G MOHR 2,913,240

GLASS FIBER REINFORCED SPRING Filed May 23, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 grm INVENTOR.

JOHN G. MOHR Y J. G. MOHR v GLASS FIBER REINFORCED SPRING Nov. 17, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 23, 1957 INVENTOR.

R H E O m M m m W other liquids.

This invention relates to jglass fiber reinforcd plastic rods shaped for use as springs. I

Glass fiber reinforced plastic rods and rod-like articles have been used in applications requiring high resiliency and high elasticity as well as' immunityfrom water and One outstanding popular/example is. the use of glass fiber reinforced'plastic'forfishing rods, such as casting and l'fly rods. Glass fiberreinforced plastic shapes .are also widely used 'in.archery bows. Both at these uses require .a. material having; great strength and resilience. Glass fiber reinforced plasticl'shapes have the desirable .characteristics of i.high elasticity and high 'strengh 'butfthey suffer from the disadvantage "that "these characteristics apply only to 'stressesacting in certain directions. Thus, a ro'dpblank for a,glass fiberi fishing -rod.may"'be bent to a cir'cle,."that is, its ends brought together without failure-ofthe material. "The same rod, however, is relatively weak in. torsion because the glass fiber is not stressediwhenthe rod is twisted; In fact,.any iofthe glass'fiber reinforced 'pla'sticarticles exhibit'high strength only in thedirection ofthe glass fiber reinforcement. Forces" at right angles'to the length of the glass "fiber. reinforcement stressthe 'resin' only which has relatively low. strength'i'in" comparison -with* "the glass "fiber.

In theor'dinary construction. of glass'fiber'reinforced rods the glass fiber is .in thefOrmJof longfilament'yarn that lays the lengthway of. the rod Withno' crossfibers.

Thus, the rodexhibits great strength in ibending or in tension or compressionbut'relatively littlestrengthin torsion.

The principal object of "this *invention is to provide an improved. ishape forqza glass; fiber. reinforced plastic rod for a..spri.ng assembly so that.the springeassembly may exhibit substantial resilience in I an axial-direction .aswell as resilience in bending.

Anotherobject of theinventionflis to provide an improved spring assemblyin which 'the stiffness of the spring in an axial direction maybecontrolled or adjusted independently of the stifiness of thespring inbending.

These and more specificsobjectsaandadvantagessare obtained in a glass fiber reinforced plastic spring constructed according to the invention.

According to the invention the improved glass fiber reinforced plastic spring assembly is composed of a plurality of spring elements which are assembled to form the complete spring. Each of the elements, between its ends, is formed as a sinuous bar or rod so that it may deflect lengthwise as well as bend sidewise in absorbing and transmitting stress. The group of such rods or bars are assembled in symmetrical relation to each other so that the resulting composite spring has generally equal strength in bending in any direction. The invention further contemplates that the sinuous elements may be either cylindrical rods or they may be spread out into more or less flat plates or flat sheets that are formed to sinuous shapes which when assembled substantially enclose or form a continuous surface for the complete spring.

2,913,240 afiatented. N ov.s17,..1-959 ICC t-rPreferred forms of the 2 inventionrareillustratcd intth'e zaccompanying'drawings. I

. In the drawings:

Figure: I is a:- sectional"rview'rofv one form ofithe-invention illustrating the general shape of the sinuous glass fiber.zreinforcedi plastica elements and their cooperation :to form the assembled spring. I

Figure II' :is a side elevation-phoneiofnthe' elements of the composite spring.

vil-gigure III. :is an--end view-aofethe assembledaspring.

:FigureilVuis .a cross sectional viewpfzaanothereform OfgrPlfiStlC spring -constructed1.accordingeto' :thesinvention. .Fi"gure=-V. shows-still anothereformwofe sinuoust rodior .bar that is used-asfan-element'rinsthe compositez spring. Figure \VI .shows still. another formeof sinuous l rod .or bar suitabler-fon use:inathe irnprovedgglassefiberzrein- -forced plastic;;spring. r

These specific figuresand rthe .accompanyingidescription rare-intended merelystoiillustrate the invention randa-not to impose -limitations on its (scope.

.The improved,v glass fiber reinforced; plastic. composite spring -.includes.--. a fplu-ralityrofr sinuous: elementsel .having -axially ali'gned end portions Ztthat are clamped or otherwise secured in end clamps-3aande4. .;Theesinuous elements s1. areaeach constructed of a large plurality of longitudinally extending glass nfibers :embedded :'-fill -a hardened 'resineadhesive. .These elements. are-smoldedato .-.the.-sh ape; shown :beforedhe resinehardens, sowthat after .the resin hardens the rodswmaintaintheir shape and: resist any.-deformation insbending from-:thahshape by-stress =in theglassnfiben filaments embedded .in.-:the: resin. The end portions 2G0fw680l1-0f3 the-sinuouseelements R1 1 is :preferably. (made: sectonshapedein 'rcross sectionpas may be seenrin Figure. I-II,-. so'-. that in.-.total;- thezend portions .of the group of-i elements -1 substantially fills A all the cross sectional-area withinutheeclampingt fend'imembers .3. -,and.4. .This; prevents anyikt'wisting. orderangement 30f -.the.-spring elementsnliand -insures-.- that :regardless of .-.the direction of the bending. stress at least twozofnthe elements .willabe positionedso as :to absorb theijgreaterpportion .:of-. the stress inbending-and .thus minimize'wany; torsional istressintheiother members.

rPreferably: the. center portion of -each-v ofethesinuous ..e1ements.-1.- is -.circular-.-in cross-section :and such circular cross-sectional: shape :isv continued around the-:end curves 5 and .6,-and. then:mergessmoothlyrfrom the circularuto thesecton shapedcross-section of theend: portion lfi Whilez-sector shaped :end.- portions- :are "shown-was being a preferredesymmetrical Z'form any non-circular:'l-shape may .be lused. for. the end; portions-2 :ofthe-elementsso .-long assuch shapes willt-nestetogether within -theaclamps Band-4.

- Preferably -the-sinuoust:elements11-arerconsttucted zof longitudinally I extending glass .fiber;:filarnents';.embedded in a hard resin adhesive. The adhesive may be selected from any of a number of compounds such as polymerizable unsaturated polyesters, diallylesters, and epoxy resins. The latter, the epoxy resins, show particularly good adhesion to the glass fibers. Suitable resins in the uncured form and especially designed for use with filamentary glass fiber are available from resin manufacturers.

In the preparation of the sinuous elements 1 the glass fiber filaments are thoroughly saturated or wetted with the liquid resin and then are molded and cured under heat with or without pressure, as may be required, to form the particular shapes for the sinuous elements.

While the individual rod-like elements are preferred, the improved glass fiber reinforced plastic spring may also be constructed as a substantially toroidal shaped member as illustrated in Figure IV. In this form the glass fiber reinforced plastic is shaped as a shell 10 havelement is illustrated in'Figure V. of the sinuous elements 20 is a rod-like member that is formed as a single loop with oppositely directed end portions 21 and 22 and an interconnecting looped cen- 3 ing oppositely directed necked-in portions 11 and 12 that are clamped or otherwise secured within terminal clamps 13 and 14. In this embodiment the individual glass fibers extend from neck to neck following the general curvature of the body, that is, the fibers are gathered together densely in the neck portions 11 and 12 and then fan out laterally through regions 15 and 16 and then run parallel to the axis through the central portion 17 of the shell.

Enough fibers must be used in this form so that the radially extending and central portions 15, 16 and 17 have substantial thickness so as to be able'to resist stresses in bending.

Another form'of sinuous glass fiber reinforced spring In this form each tral portion. Preferably the central portion of the element 20 is of circular or generally circular cross section while the end portions 21 and 22 are of non-circular cross section arranged to nest within and be securely fastened within end clamps 23 and 24. The looped form of these elements 20 provides a substantial length for bending resilience in a comparatively small volume. It also makes a rather attractive appearing configuration when a plurality of such looped. elements 20 are assembled in symmetrical relation.

Still another form of sinuous element for use in the composite spring is illustrated in Figure VI. As shown in this figure each of the sinuous elements 30 is shown 'with several reverse bends or turns so as to increase its end portions 31 and 32 which are of a non-circular shape adapted to nest within the end clamps 33 and 34.

While the end clamps in these various embodiments have been illustrated-as having a comparatively short axial length it is contemplated that in actual construc "tion the spring elements would have considerably longer end terminal portions for clamping purposes and thus distribute the stress over a greater area of contact between the end clamp and the glass fibers making up the sinuous elements. This is necessary because of the relatively weak strength of the glass fiber reinforced plastic articles in shear as compared to the strength in tension, compression or bending where the stress is applied or exerted parallel to the length of the reinforcing glass elements.

In each of the examples illustrated the composite glass fiber reinforced plastic springs have the desirable characteristic of being able to resiliently absorb, by bending stresses, any stress exerted axially of the spring as well as any bending forces tending to tip one end of the spring relative to the other end. Furthermore, since a substantial amount of glass fiber in resin may be employed for a given stiffness, it is possible because of such v 4. increased amount to be able to withstand the torsional stresses that may be exerted between the ends of the spring without resulting in premature failure of the assembly.

The spring elements or sinuous members illustrated in Figures I, V and VI may be manufactured either by an individual molding process or by a continuous process wherein the glass filaments are coated with uncured resin as they are drawn through a resin impregnating tank, the resin is partially cured, the rods are formed to the desired configuration, and then the resin is completely cured. The principal requirement is that adequate bonding or adhesion be obtained between the glass fibers and the adhesive so that the shearing stresses exerted in the bonds between the filaments may be carried without rupture.

Various modifications in the particular shape of the structural elements of the improved spring may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A glass fiber reinforced resin spring comprising a plurality of sinuous rod-like glass fiber reinforced plastic rods, each of 'said rods having an end portion that is sector shaped in cross section, said rods being arranged symmetricallywith respect to a central axis with the sector shaped end portions forming cylindrical sections, and means securing said end portions in assembled relation for transmission of force to and from the spring.

2. A glass fiber reinforced resin spring comprising a plurality of sinuous glass fiber reinforced plastic elements, said elements. being generally symmetrically arranged with respect to a central axis, each of said elements having an end portion that isshaped as a part of a cylinder, and means securing said end portions in a cylindrical bundle.

3. A glass fiber reinforced resinspring comprising a plurality ofsinuous rod-like glass fiber reinforced plastic elements, each of the elements having a. pair of aligned ends and an offset central portion connected to the ends by generally S-shaped sections, said elements being arranged symmetrically about a central axis .with said ends secured together in compact generally cylindrical bundles aligned with the central axis.

4. A glass fiber reinforced plastic spring according to claim 2 in which the aligned ends of the elements have sector shaped cross sections.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

